New Delhi: The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) on Friday approved a significant increase in the ceiling prices of several essential medicines, including key chemotherapy drugs used in cancer treatment, anti-tetanus immunoglobulin injections and major childhood vaccines.
The decision was notified through three separate government notifications. The authority said the price revision was necessitated by rising raw material costs and concerns over the continued availability of these critical medicines in the market.
Cancer drugs see 50% price hike
Invoking its extraordinary powers under Paragraph 19 of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order (DPCO), 2013, the NPPA approved a 50% increase in the ceiling prices of two widely used first-line chemotherapy medicines — Carboplatin and Cisplatin.
Following the revision, the ceiling price of Carboplatin Injection (10 mg/ml) has been increased to ₹90.74 per ml, while Cisplatin Injection (1 mg/ml) will now cost ₹10.89 per ml.
The authority noted that manufacturers had flagged increasing production costs and supply challenges, raising concerns about the continued availability of these life-saving medicines if prices were not revised.
The latest move is aimed at ensuring uninterrupted supply of essential drugs while balancing affordability concerns for patients dependent on these treatments.
